Cattleya walkeriana in ultraviolet and in visible spectrum!!

[orchidresearcher]

Hey everyone!! I've been working on some research with orchids and ultraviolet cues for a few years now. I thought some of you might be interested in seeing what this was all about.
On the left is the photo taken with a filter that only lets in ultraviolet light, on the right is the photo in the visible spectrum.

Since we can't see in UV we completely miss out on what's going on in the picture on the left! But pollinators like bees can see in UV and we think this helps to attract them to the bloom. Nature at it's finest.

[sammywolffox]

Very interesting. I would never have guessed that when seen in ultraviolet the contrast would be so strikingly different.

[orchidresearcher]

Yep! Interesting stuff. The dark area in the UV photo is where ultraviolet is absorbed, the lighter areas reflected.

[sammywolffox]

It was interesting to me that the areas of the orchid that should attract pollinators appear muted in the visible spectrum photograph and are barely discernible, in color, from the overall coloration of the bloom. These areas are distinctly highlighted in the ultraviolet photo. I will be interested in seeing photos, you take, of other orchids.

[zainal abidin]

Wow excellent discovery no wonder insects never miss the flower, thanks for sharing interesting info.

[catttan]

Very interesting indeed!!! Can't wait to see more of your UV pictures.

[orchidresearcher]

More will certainly be coming in the future.
We are trying to show that UV cues have developed as an adaptive trait to attract pollinators. Some orchids don't have as prominent cues as this Cattleya, these are usually pollinated by moths, so at night when UV doesn't matter! But we do have a good number with interesting cues and have been working on analyzing different trends and such!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Interesting discovery and photos. I look forward to seeing more like this. Thanks Sarah.

cheers,
BD

[eorchids]

Thanks for sharing.

[sam1987]

Very interesting research, insects can see UV. Orchids are so clever!